High bank cards for rewards – September 2025

Rewards bank cards are a good way to earn useful reward foreign money for bills you already make repeatedly. Plus, they make journey extra comfy due to transferable factors and miles.

In actual fact, transferable bank card factors reworked the way in which I journey as a result of this foreign money is a lot extra useful than factors earned immediately by an airline or resort loyalty program.

Coupled with common switch bonuses to pick switch companions, the transferable factors’ worth turns into far more evident. I can maintain onto my bank card rewards till I am prepared to make use of them, and if one switch accomplice unexpectedly will increase their redemption charges, I can swap to a unique switch accomplice, defending myself from disagreeable devaluations.

Whatever the useful rewards you earn on a bank card, prioritize utilizing it responsibly and paying your payments in full every month. In any other case, the curiosity and penalties you incur will seemingly be a lot increased than the worth of any rewards acquired.

Whether or not you’re a newbie traveler or an skilled one, a enterprise proprietor or a renter, listed here are my prime picks for the most effective rewards bank cards.

The very best rewards bank cards

Evaluating the most effective rewards bank cards

This is a deeper dive so you may see how my prime suggestions for the most effective rewards bank cards stack up.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Welcome supply: Earn 125,000 factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $795.

Standout advantages: The Sapphire Reserve has not too long ago acquired a face-lift and options new reward-earning charges, credit and, sure, a giant annual payment.

Regardless of these modifications, the Sapphire Reserve nonetheless gives a strong worth proposition for many who can max out many of the credit and, in flip, offset the brand new $795 annual payment.

When you’re a frequent traveler who desires entry to credit that fit your life-style, the revamped Sapphire Reserve could possibly be a terrific addition to your pockets, particularly with perks like an annual $500 The Edit credit score you should use (as much as $250 biannually for stays of two nights or extra) at 1,000+ hand-picked properties everywhere in the world.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, this perk modifications. Cardholders will mechanically get a credit score of as much as $250 for every pay as you go (two-nights or longer) reserving with The Edit (as much as $500 yearly). Cardholders will even obtain a brand new $250 credit score for choose Chase Journey inns to make use of within the 2026 calendar yr.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card

Welcome supply: Earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: With a wonderful welcome bonus of 75,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked makes it straightforward to earn a number of useful Final Rewards factors all for a low annual payment. You may improve your earnings with elevated rewards charges within the (massively standard) journey and eating classes.

Why it is nice for rewards: When family and friends ask me which card I like to recommend most for starting to gather rewards, I often advocate this one, given its wholesome welcome bonus.

Despite the fact that there are such a lot of nice Final Rewards switch companions, I’ve redeemed most of mine over time by World of Hyatt for the straightforward purpose that their award charts are actually affordable, and I do know I can all the time get nice worth like at The Grayson, an Unbound Assortment property within the coronary heart of New York Metropolis (which I’ve beforehand performed for a particular birthday journey to have fun my husband).

With no resort charges on World of Hyatt redemptions, we loved 4 nights of lodging with no out-of-pocket prices, and he gasped when he noticed the view of the Empire State Constructing from our window.

I not too long ago redeemed 100,000 Air Canada Aeroplan factors (an Final Rewards 1:1 switch accomplice) for a ten.5-hour Lufthansa first-class flight from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), sitting within the nostril of the enduring “Queen of the Skies” Boeing 747-8.

It was among the finest flights of my life, together with being pushed throughout the tarmac in Frankfurt from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in a non-public luxurious automobile, having fun with caviar with all of the trimmings, loads of Champagne and an 81-inch mattress that was extra comfy than my mattress at house.

That is the bank card I’ve held the longest and nonetheless love, and for those who’ve ever thought-about a rewards-earning bank card, now’s the best time to apply for the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card.

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The Platinum Card from American Categorical

Welcome supply: Discover out your supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome gives fluctuate and also you will not be eligible for a proposal.

Annual payment: $895.

Standout advantages: The Amex Platinum earns a beneficiant 5 factors per greenback spent on flights booked immediately with airways or with American Categorical Journey (as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback), 5 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go inns booked with American Categorical Journey, and 1 level per greenback on all different purchases making it a wonderful journey companion.

This card is filled with annual credit* which might simply cowl the price of the annual payment, together with:

• As much as $200 in assertion credit per calendar yr for incidental charges charged by one airline you choose with all main U.S. airways out there to select from
• As much as a $600 annual resort credit score per calendar yr, within the type of a press release credit score, on pay as you go Amex Tremendous Lodges + Resorts or The Lodge Assortment bookings with Amex Journey whenever you pay together with your Amex Platinum (Lodge Assortment stays require a two-night minimal). Distributed as two semi-annual as much as $300 credit.
• An as much as $209 Clear Plus assertion credit score to assist cardholders cross by airport safety sooner at 50+ airports nationwide; rise up to $209 again per calendar yr on membership (topic to auto-renewal) when utilizing your Platinum card
• You obtain as much as $300 in assertion credit per calendar yr on eligible purchases made in your favourite streaming providers like Disney+, a Disney+ Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Instances, Peacock, Paramount+, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and The Wall Avenue Journal (as much as a $25 per thirty days).
• This card supplies as much as $200 per calendar yr in Uber Money, legitimate on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. (break up into month-to-month as much as $15 credit plus an as much as $20 bonus in December). Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account whenever you add the Amex Platinum as a fee technique and redeem with any Amex card.
• Obtain both a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for a World Entry software payment or a press release credit score as much as $85 each 4½ years for a TSA PreCheck (by a TSA official enrollment supplier) software payment, when charged to the Platinum Card. Card Members permitted for World Entry will even obtain entry to TSA PreCheck at no further price.
• As much as $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, break up into one as much as $50 assertion credit score between January and June, then one other as much as $50 assertion credit score between July and December

The Amex Plat supplies a lot of further credit that I do not use myself, however they might profit you for those who frequent particular locations.

*Choose advantages require enrollment.

Why it is nice for rewards: I am unable to consider one other private card that provides extra perks than the almighty Amex Platinum. There is no denying that the annual payment is a severe funding, however even for those who journey sometimes, the variety of journey advantages cannot be overwhelmed.

I really like accessing the Centurion Lounges with my Amex Platinum, already open at 15 U.S. airports, with new lounges opening quickly. These areas function meals and drinks from award-winning cooks and prime mixologists and are value arriving early to take pleasure in earlier than your subsequent flight.

Do you know that for those who fly Delta on a same-day flight and present your Amex Platinum you may take pleasure in 10 Sky Membership visits yearly? Plus, for those who’re flying out of or by an airport with out a Centurion Lounge or Delta Sky Membership, eligible cardmembers can nonetheless entry greater than 1,400 lounges throughout 140 nations due to American Categorical’ World Lounges Assortment.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of The Platinum Card from American Categorical.

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Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card

Welcome supply: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: Along with its industry-leading 2 miles per greenback spent on each buy, day by day, whenever you ebook inns, trip leases and rental automobiles by Capital One Journey, the incomes price will increase to five miles per greenback spent.

This card additionally has rental automobile insurance coverage, journey help insurance coverage and as much as $120 software payment credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck each 4 years.

Why it is nice for rewards: With no international transaction charges, this can be a nice card for touring in contrast with an American Categorical card, which I’ve discovered will not be accepted in fairly as many locations overseas. When you aren’t comfy paying the $395 annual payment of the Enterprise Rewards large sister, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card, the Enterprise Rewards annual payment is extra palatable with a $95 annual payment.

It nonetheless earns a formidable 2 miles per greenback spent on each buy. I really like the 15-plus switch accomplice choices, particularly transferring my Capital One miles to Air Canada’s Aeroplan program to ebook business-class flights to Europe in fancy lie-flat seats from as little as 60,000 factors or home flights on United from simply 6,000 factors in financial system.

Or, if you wish to ebook a flight or resort that’s not out there by a switch accomplice, it’s also possible to redeem Capital One miles at a price of 1 cent every by Capital One Journey. This perk has helped me return house from among the extra uncommon locations I’ve visited.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card.

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Citi Strata Premier Card

Welcome supply: Earn 60,000 factors after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Annual payment: $95.

Standout advantages: The Citi Strata Premier gives $100 off a single resort keep of $500 or extra, excluding taxes and costs, as soon as per calendar yr whenever you ebook by Citi Journey. That is a straightforward strategy to cowl the price of the annual payment annually.

Why it is nice for rewards: This card tends to fly below the radar, and whereas another rewards playing cards supply bonus factors in a single or two main classes, the Strata Premier has been probably the most useful playing cards I’ve ever held as a result of it options an incomes price of three factors per greenback spent in standard classes together with air journey, different resort purchases, eating places, supermarkets, gasoline and EV charging stations.

I am unable to consider one other card that earns 3 factors per greenback throughout so many classes the place I spend repeatedly. This has helped me to earn tons of Citi ThankYou Rewards, which I switch to packages like JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and Singapore Airways KrisFlyer.

Virgin Atlantic’s improbable new Saver fares permit me to ebook flights to London for as little as 6,000 Virgin factors (transferred from Citi at a 1:1 price) plus charges, taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges, in addition to to fly again from Tanzania following a particular birthday safari in KLM enterprise class not too long ago, additionally with Virgin factors the place I collected considered one of their cute Delft homes.

Once I ebook journey by the Citi Journey portal, I earn an unbelievable 10 factors per greenback spent on inns, automobile rental and sights, which I worth as incomes 19% again as factors in accordance with TPG’s August 2025 valuation of ThankYou Rewards. This card is so rewarding for all of the journey I ebook; the Citi Strata Card has been among the finest playing cards I’ve added to my pockets.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of the Citi Strata Premier Card.

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Chase Freedom Limitless

Welcome supply: Earn $200 after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual payment: $0.

Standout advantages: Earn no less than 1.5% money again on each buy you make on the cardboard, growing to three% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places (together with takeout and eligible supply providers), and 5% again on journey booked by Chase Journey.

Why it is nice for rewards: I can admire not everyone seems to be as obsessive about loyalty packages as I’m, and also you would possibly simply need to be rewarded with uncomplicated money again. The Chase Freedom Limitless retains issues easy whereas nonetheless generously rewarding you.

I like to recommend this as a terrific choice for those who’re on the lookout for a card that earns greater than 1% money again on all purchases with out paying an annual payment, and the welcome supply additionally sweetens the quantity you may earn again within the first yr.

When you like to journey, then think about the comfort of reserving flights, inns, automobiles, cruises and extra by Chase Journey. Not solely can this be a one-stop store in your subsequent trip, however you will earn a beneficiant and rewarding 5% money again on all journey booked through Chase Journey.

You may also convert the money again you earn from this card into transferable factors by pairing it with a card that earns Final Rewards factors, just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of the Chase Freedom Limitless.

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American Categorical Gold Card

Welcome supply: Discover out your supply and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. Welcome gives fluctuate and also you will not be eligible for a proposal.

Annual payment: $325.

Standout advantages: This card provides you some ways to earn a couple of level per greenback, particularly if groceries and eating out (or ordering takeout) take up a number of your funds.

There’s additionally a single $10 month-to-month eating credit score you should use at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Manufacturing unit, Goldbelly, Wine.com and 5 Guys (as much as a $120 annual assertion credit score per calendar yr; enrollment required), plus $10 per thirty days in Uber Money, which can be utilized on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides within the U.S. Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account whenever you add the Amex Gold Card as a fee technique and redeem with any Amex card.

Why it is nice for rewards: I dine out repeatedly, particularly when touring and away from my house kitchen, so this can be a nice strategy to eat my strategy to extra Membership Rewards factors.

For group dinners the place splitting the invoice on the restaurant will be awkward, I typically supply to pay on my card after which have my eating companions ship me their share of the verify. I can earn the factors for your entire verify — which might simply be 1000’s of Membership Rewards factors for a giant group dinner (enrollment required).

I really like transferring this reward foreign money to British Airways Membership and Singapore Airways KrisFlyer.

Even past incomes 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (as much as $50,000 every calendar yr for eating places and as much as $25,000 every calendar yr on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, then 1 level per greenback on different purchases), the month-to-month credit can shortly add as much as cowl the annual payment annually. Even when I solely order from Grubhub, Uber Eats, and 5 Guys as soon as a month, the credit are critically rewarding. And that is earlier than I’ve factored within the as much as $100 annual Resy assertion credit each calendar yr (damaged down as two as much as $50 credit biannually; for purchases at U.S. Resy-affiliated eating places and different eligible purchases). Enrollment is required.

When you love consuming out at locations that settle for American Categorical, this card ought to be in your pocket.

For extra particulars, see our full evaluation of the American Categorical Gold Card.

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What to contemplate when selecting a rewards bank card

Step one in selecting a rewards card is figuring out how you propose to make use of a card and its accompanying rewards.

Bear in mind: you are not locked into one card for all times. I apply for, downgrade and cancel my playing cards comparatively repeatedly as my spending and journey habits evolve.

Most well-liked rewards

Take into consideration the way you need to earn rewards — whether or not it is easy money again or factors and miles you may redeem by a journey portal or switch to companions.

Your alternative depends upon your preferences and journey habits. If switch choices, award charts, and bonuses really feel overwhelming, think about beginning with a cash-back card and shifting as much as a factors or miles card later.

Welcome bonus

It is simple to gravitate towards the cardboard with the largest welcome bonus — I’ve performed it myself. However evaluating a $750 cash-back bonus to 75,000 factors is not all the time easy. Whilst you would possibly assume factors are value one cent every, they’ll typically be value extra, relying on the way you redeem them.

Whereas a big welcome bonus of factors and miles can definitely sweeten the deal of making use of for a brand new rewards bank card, I would advocate checking the worth of any factors towards TPG’s present month-to-month valuations to place an approximate money worth on the welcome bonus.

Spending habits

Which classes do you are inclined to spend probably the most in? Do the locations you store at settle for American Categorical? When you can decide this earlier than making use of for something, deciding which card will earn you probably the most rewards is less complicated.

When you plan to take the cardboard touring with you, guarantee it doesn’t cost a international transaction payment. In any other case, this payment will seemingly be greater than the worth of the rewards you’d earn.

Annual payment

Although no one likes paying an annual payment, it might be justified if the advantages of being a cardholder and the accompanying credit present worth that outweighs the payment.

A great rule of thumb that’s to attempt to discover a welcome bonus that’s valued increased than the annual payment for the primary yr. I then have a look at the worth of the advantages like assertion credit, bonus miles and journey protections and advantages to estimate whether or not they could be increased than the annual payment price within the second and subsequent years when the welcome bonus wouldn’t be relevant.

When doubtful, you possibly can begin with a card with no annual payment to make sure you’re getting actual worth from it earlier than contemplating a card with an annual payment.

How we selected the most effective rewards bank cards

We rated the most effective rewards bank cards primarily based on a number of components, together with however not restricted to the welcome gives these playing cards present, reward incomes charges — particularly in standard bonus classes, switch companions and their charges and different perks related to every card.

Try our methodology right here to learn the way TPG evaluates and chooses playing cards for our roundups.

Redemption choices for rewards bank cards

For cash-back bank cards, think about using your rewards to scale back your assertion stability. When you’d desire to make use of the money elsewhere, most issuers allow you to redeem it in different methods, comparable to making use of it to Amazon.com purchases, changing it to factors or transferring it to your checking account.

For factors and miles playing cards, you may often redeem rewards by the issuer’s journey portal at round one cent per level, relying on the cardboard. Nevertheless, you will typically get higher worth by transferring factors to airline or resort loyalty packages.

Associated: Bank card switch companions: Information to transferring factors and miles to airways and inns

Backside line

Rewards bank cards have fully modified how I spend and journey. I take advantage of them for the whole lot — from a pack of gum to a cup of espresso — to maximise factors by elevated incomes charges.

Even with low or no annual charges, these playing cards have earned me a whole lot of 1000’s of factors and miles, together with perks like lounge entry and resort elite standing.

Whether or not you are new to factors or a seasoned collector, the following pointers may also help you discover the fitting rewards card in your objectives.

For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, among the advantages could also be offered by Visa® or Mastercard® and should fluctuate by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.

For charges and costs of the Amex Gold card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum card, click on right here.

Associated: The very best bank card welcome bonuses of August 2025